Janey Hood - a breast cancer survivor - on how I fixed my low body temperature in order to optimise my immune system which has fixed many of my little idiopathic ailments and how I work out how to try fix residual health issues.

Low Body Temperature

Within the pages of my site are explanations how I identified I felt I needed to fix my low temperature to optimise my immune system, and how I thought this might enable my immune system to try to fix some idiopathic and chronic diseases I had developed over the years and a little on process I used to reset my low body temperature.

Steve Richfield, the only Central Metabolic Control Therapist in the world, taught me how to fix my low temperature set point. I now operate at 37C (98.6F) every day, this process of optimising my immune system has now cured many of the cumulative illnesses I had developed over the previous 48 years of my life when I was operating at low temperature.

You can see my list in symptoms cured. Reading on, below, I explain how I take my temperature, the method is important for resetting purposes and a little of my low temperature experience. Please feel free to browse my pages, I also address my remaining residual health issues and how I approach fixing them. I you wish to clarify anything or offer comments I welcome correspondence. Contact Me Here or on my Contact Page and you can subscribe to my blog in my footer.

What is a low temperature?

Quite simply. If a person NEVER reaches 37C or 98.6F, during the daytime, and has a waking (or rather sleeping), basal temperature of LESS than 36.3C (97.34F) then either that person has a lowered temperature or a low set point, central hypothermia.If wearing extra clothing gets the temperature to 37C (98.6F) and it stays up easily, then dressing warmly might be the simple answer.If NOTHING WORKS to get the temperature to STAY up, then a low set point must be considered as a possible problem.

It is important to note that temperatures CYCLE around set points during the course of a day, I imagine a temperature set point to be like a temperature magnet, the operating temperature can go above and below the set point, but is always pulled back to the set point when the ambient temperature or biological processes allow. Steve Richfield's Shower Test will confirm a low set point.

How I Take My Temperature

I used a thermometer recommended to me by Steve Richfield. A digital Vicks Smart Temp thermometer. During his own reset Steve, who is an engineer, checked out many makes of thermometers for accuracy and found this to be the most accurate. I have no reason to doubt his recommendation, after all my reset was successful using this thermometer.

I place the thermometer into my MOUTH as far back possible, usually under the tongue, and leave it there for about 40 seconds. Then I switch it on. When the beeps sound, I check the temperature reading but I do not remove the thermometer. I wait around another 40 seconds and usually this gives me a final reading.Axial (under arm) temperatures are simply not quick enough or accurate enough.

If I am doubting my temperature set point is behaving or I feel unwell, I simply keep the thermometer in my mouth all the time and switch it on and off during the course of the day to keep checking where I am. This way I can adjust my environment to keep my body temperature at 37C or 98.6F which usually fixes whatever is wrong with me. My family are now used to me looking like a hyperchondriacal Groucho Marx!

Steve spent some time researching thermometers, he needed the calibration to be really accurate for his own reset and can be read in C or F. This thermometer I believe is the same one and is the best for resetting purposes.You can buy this from here if you like, I do get a little back from these purchases which goes towards maintenance of my site.

My Low Temperature Experience

From the age of four and then for 48 years, I had a low body temperature (central hypothermia) it was 35.8C or 96.4F during the day and ~ 35.0C or 95F at night. In my family we almost wore it as a badge. I recall my sister telling me with pride that she was unique with a low body temperature and low blood pressure. What we didn't know then was that there was nothing unique or desirable about having a low temperature.

The issue of temperature RANGE is interesting to me. My daughter who is at junior school age 11 at the time of writing has just been taught that 37C (98.6F) is normal human body temperature. So, at what point between age 11 and graduating from medical school as a doctor, does this information change? When was a reference range developed? My belief is that this acceptance of a wider temperature range is allowing a compromised immune system. My rejuvenating health, since my reset seems to suggest this might be. I have written about this under 'Symptoms Cured'.

Why Did I Have Central Hypothermia?

So, why did I have a low body temperature? There seem to be many causes for having a low body temperature for example ancestry (famine) an example being the Irish. Whatever the reason, a low body temperature set point can, more often than not, be fixed. Steve Richfield suggests the body drops the temperature set point as a result of superstitious learning, for example, where a young persons body was toddling along well and happily at 37C, then, for a reason unknown to its brain, some thing intervened, and taught the body that a low temperature was preferable, this dropped temperature made the very clever CMCS get the message. Cooler is better. If my body wasn't functioning well at 37C then, maybe this new lower temperature might work better?. The CMCS duly dropped my set point down to this new 'preferred' temperature and carried on performing as best it could for the rest of my life. The result of this is, things began to break much earlier in life than if my temperature had been optimal for the previous 50+ so years. My history is: Irish descent ( famine), and other possibilities I have identified. I had lived with a low temperature for around 48 years.

Skimming the surface of available information, hypothermia is classed as being 35C (95F) and lower. Before my temperature set point reset, I was this temperature at night, which means I was classed as in the hypothermia range when I was asleep.

If my temperature dropped further due to a cold environment or alcohol consumption or not enough clothes or even a 'hot' flush which results in a dropped set point, I was at risk. Dicing with deathly temperatures during night and operating at sleeping temperatures during the day. I knew I had problems as I was beginning to lose some cognitive functions and stability. I would often stumble into things. I felt stupid, unfocussed and regularly was day-dreamy in addition to many small dis-eases.

What Happens at Low Temperatures?

This is my uneducated hypothesis:It is well established that enzymes in a normal temperature body react optimally at 37C (98.6F), some operate optimally slightly higher, some lower, similarly the temperature cycles around 37C (98.6F). Normal enzyme action is governed by temperature, alkalinity, substrate concentration, co factors and enzyme concentration. There are some enzymes that work at different temperatures for specific reasons, for example during an infection. If the body is not cycling at 37C (98.6F) ie sometimes slightly below, sometimes slightly above, but mostly at 37C (98.6F), then the normal life sustaining reactions slow down and the immune system is compromised. Everything slows down at low temperatures.

At low temperatures, as things slow, repair slows and the immune system doesn't work properly, metabolism alters. If something goes wrong and fails to be repaired quickly enough this then compounds and can become a bigger problem. The body can, and does, find a work around, the body is programmed to survive. Additionally maybe an optimum temperature will keep fats fluid, cold bodies solidify fats causing congealed fats to build up leading to artery and heart vessel congestion.

Dogs don't have heart attacks. They are meat eaters. Their average body temperatures are 38.5C or 101.3F. In fact, when I looked at quite a few meat eating animals I found similar temperatures. Humans, as omnivores, are marginally lower in temperatures, but can still deal with a certain quantity of fats. I think the mixed diet means we have can accommodate some fats, however we cannot melt fats if the temperature set point drops My thinking is that there might be other immune system related problems, for example, the corneal problem, arcus senilis. Maybe someone with some money ought to start investigating...My own compromised immune system illnesses were accumulating slowly but surely.

My temperature during the day was usually around 35.8C (96.4F). Dropping to around 35C (95F) at night. This was unacceptably low in my opinion. My immune system was increasingly compromised and the list of minor illnesses which I put down to 'aging' began to get longer and longer. Now, I regard anything less than 37C as low.

My Adrenal and Thyroid Connection

I made an adrenalin connection with low body temperatures. I had a 'loud' heart beat, which sometimes kept me awake at night. This was an indication that I was using adrenalin all the time to keep warm instead of its primary use fight or flight. I had been using my adrenalin output in this way for most of my life. No wonder those two little organs were exhausted! I fixed my temperature, and with further instruction from Steve, I now understand my adrenals a little more, and know how to look after their output by dressing warmly and getting to 37 within a 20 minute window in the morning. I sleep very much better if I get this right and keep warm at night as well.

I had joined a thyroid forum, initially believing this to be a sub optimally working thyroid problem. What I could not understand was why, if these alternative thyroid approaches with Armour and other glandulars worked, were there so many people still on the forum with low body temperatures who were still struggling with compromised immune system related ill health?I duly took my Armour and checked my waking temperature (sometimes called 'basal') and there was NO change. This was frustrating. To my mind I was looking in the wrong place. I 'searched' - ' has any one fixed a low body temperature?' and up popped the ramblings of Steve Richfield the only CMCS therapist in the world. His writings seemed eccentric and yet plausible. I emailed him and, incredibly, he replied immediately. So the temperature adventure began.

And so.. to Fix My Central Hypothermia...

The first thing Steve had me do was his shower test. This is his way of testing body temperature 'set points'. I only just failed it and so Steve agreed to help me reset my low body temperature set point.

I have described my illnesses under 'Symptoms Cured', the increase in symptoms was pretty rapid over about a period of five years over the age of forty. Once my health started to slide I began to be very worried indeed, the final straw was breast cancer. After Steve Richfield helped me reset my temperature set point I started to operate at 37C (98.6F) and my immune system began to become optimised, the majority of my symptoms began to disappear. This in itself was remarkable if not miraculous. The speed of recovery was also remarkable, for example my rotator cuff pain disappeared virtually overnight - I couldn't even lift a kettle before my first reset day then suddenly I could without any pain! What I have realised subsequently however is that not all symptoms compromised immune system issues, so I still have some things to fix, but now I am in a much better position to do so.

My thoughts on my remaining problems are that they are consequential historical damage, possibly beyond repair, some self inflicted - poor nutrition, sloth etc, over indulgence, some external, some possible medical intervention, environment, chemicals etc. I now have a supplement protocol which helps.

However my list of residual problems is reduced so much now that I am much more able to work on it, some things are fixed by happen-stance - I am trying to fix one thing and another responds. Most things are yet to fix. I have compiled a list of symptoms to cure, and keep researching ways forward.

Considering Resetting Your Own Low Temperature?

I do not give adviceThe resetting process requires support and some knowledge.There are a few email transcripts of the first couple of days of the process I went through with Steve Richfield who supported me to me reset my low temperature here Steve describes a little why resetting can be complex.

I learned how to guesstimate my temperature. Many people have signs when they are cold, and when they are at 37C. My own main signs are; my lips are dry at low temperatures and I notice my heart beat is 'louder'. I now use the thermometer on the left because it is less expensive but accurate

I am not qualified and do not offer advice. This is simply my own approach to my health. A low body temperature is not a causal factor in illness but it may allow illnesses to develop as a result of a compromised immune system..

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I offer my story freely, I am trying to reach people with ill health for whom conventional approaches have been ineffective. Hopefully my experience insprires continued searching and maybe, even by happenstance, a cure. Occasionally some people contact me offering to contribute to keeping this information available. A small donation of £1.00 makes a big difference to maintaining and keeping my website up and running .All proceeds from donations go towards this maintenance, as you can see below it is a loss making project!.